Weakness
by Sengen
Summary: Aeris loved sports, but due to a strange genetic disorder called Osteogenesis imperfecta, she wasn't permitted to join any sports clubs. It wasn't a surprise that she was drawn to Hiruma Youichi, whose passion for American Football blotted out everything else. Eventual HirumaXOC, some AgonXOC. [Pre-Main Story Line]
1. Prologue : Fate

_**A/N : **Eyeshield 21 is owned and was created by **Riichiro Inagaki **and **Yusuke Murata**. I do not lay claim to anything other than my own OC's (Original Character's) and my own variations of the plot line. This story is strictly fan made and has no link to or influence on the original work. _

_It is rated M (Mature) due to language, mild violence, and (very) mild sexual content in much later chapters. This story takes place approximately 4 years prior to the main Eyeshield 21 story line, when Hiruma, Musashi, and Kurita were still in their freshman year of secondary school (7th grade of Middle School)._

* * *

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

｢ **Prologue : Fate**

_... tell me have you ever wanted_  
_someone so much it hurts?_  
_Your lips keep trying to speak_  
_but you just can't find the words ..._

- **Lady Antebellum**, We Owned The Night ｣

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

The fickle thing called _**fate**_ is too weak a word to describe what had drawn me to that field that day. It was as if my body wasn't my own, moving and doing as it pleased without the conscious consent of my mind. An invisible hand led me through the crowded sidewalk of the middle school I had just enrolled in, urging me onward relentlessly until my lungs had all but forgotten how to work – needing to be in a place I hadn't a clue as to where it was.

And then, suddenly, it opened up before me like a giant sea of grass. The roar of the spectators seemed to rock the very earth itself, causing my vision to tremble and waver as I tried to comprehend what I was seeing. A flash of red drew my eyes toward it like the attracting sides of a magnet, and then I was staring in awe at what would soon become my destiny. The large number 1 glowed against the red of the football jersey, and the rest of the world fell away into oblivion until he was the only one I saw.

The red string that ties one soul to another wrapped its unbreakable chains around me and shot forward, connecting him and I until we were undeniably united. I was trapped in the shell called a body, hopelessly bound for all eternity to it; but I thought, as long as I was bound to this person I would suffer through any hardship imaginable. His head turned in my direction, as if hearing something only he could perceive of. Piercing green eyes, so sharp they seemed to slice right through you, locked onto me in one fell swoop.

Time stood still in that moment, as our eyes locked and the red string permanently bound us together. His eyes turned away from mine, and once again I could hear the deafening cry of the crowd as they cheered the game on. Time resumed its steady pace as his voice cut through the roar of the crowd as easily as a knife slicing through butter. The ball was hitched back to the man in the number 1 jersey, and then the game began.


	2. I : Inkling

_**A/N : **Eyeshield 21 is owned and was created by **Riichiro Inagaki **and **Yusuke Murata**. I do not lay claim to anything other than my own OC's (Original Character's) and my own variations of the plot line. This story is strictly fan made and has no link to or influence on the original work. _

_It is rated M (Mature) due to language, mild violence, and (very) mild sexual content in much later chapters. This story takes place approximately 4 years prior to the main Eyeshield 21 story line, when Hiruma, Musashi, and Kurita were still in their freshman year of secondary school (7th grade of Middle School)._

* * *

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

｢ **I : Inkling**

_... Your destiny isn't immutable.  
Anything that you can dream  
can also be the fate that you will have _... ｣

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

Mao Junior High was not a well-known school. In fact, unless you lived in the immediate area or had the misfortune of attending said school, most wouldn't recognize the name even if it came up in conversation _(which was a very rare occurrence indeed)_. Mao Junior High didn't have much to account for. Their extracurricular's were third rate at best, their sports second, and while the educational portion of it was better than the other two to a degree, it couldn't hold a candle to any of the neighboring schools. Mao was merely a building built to house the overflow of students who couldn't get into their school of choice, not the place genius kids and prodigies attended – but Aeris loved it.

The campus was small and simple, spotted with unkempt gardens and blooming cherry blossoms and had the aura of a slumbering animal that hadn't yet awakened to its full potential. While the students were a bit on the rowdy side, most were good natured and easy to get along with – nothing like those from the stuffy private primary school she had attended the previous year. Best of all, it would be the first time in two years she would attend the same school as her elder brother, Akimoto Kosuke – an event the sibling duo had been waiting for since his graduation out of primary school.

Aeris, with her short stature, wavy blonde locks, and crystalline blue eyes only a foreigner could obtain through genetics, was a pale, exotic beauty thought to have come from another country. In truth, she was born and raised on the island nation of Japan, but had inherited her father's looks, an American who had been stationed in Camp Zama, Tokyo, while adopting her Japanese mother's height. She was petite and appeared frail with her lightly toned muscles and white skin that seemed to burn every time she walked out into the sun. Her eyes were large almonds that brought the hint of pink out of her cheeks, and the waterfall of hair that cascaded down and over her shoulders was so lightly shaded it seemed almost colorless.

If compared with Kosuke, the only thing the two had in common were the crystalline hue of their eyes. Where she was short, petite, and frail looking, he was tall, tanned, and sturdy. The sun kissed hue of his skin only made the orbs enclosed in his almond shaped eyes pop out on his face, and his dark chocolate hair curled cutely down to the nape of his neck, appearing unkempt in a stylish way. His muscles were built up from years of participating in sports _(the main ones being American Football and Soccer – or regular football)_, and while still growing, he currently stood at a towering height of nearly 178 cm (5'8").

So it was no wonder the two received strange looks the moment they walked through the gates of Mao Junior High the day after the opening ceremony together. It was a strange sight indeed, but a situation the two had already adapted to from their time in primary school. Kosuke shot her his classic cheesy boy smile as they rounded the corner and began their slow trek up the courtyard walkway, only pausing briefly for the boy to wave at classmates and friends he recognize from previous years.

"Are ya' nervous?"

"Not really. I have you here to protect me, don't I?" Like one would imagine, Aeris' voice was soft and sweet on the ears. It was as if her voice hadn't risen to a tone of harshness even once in her life, but that was a completely invalid fact. When the situation called for it _(by which meant playing sport video games with her brother's)_, she could get surprisingly loud and just a tad bit hostile. After all, sports were something she had always loved. From American Football to Tennis, and even to Track, she enjoyed everything; however, due to a medical condition called Osteogenesis imperfecta, she was unable to participate in the activities she loved.

The disease was genetic, something she had inherited from her mother, and caused her bones to be unnaturally brittle and her skin to bruise easily. From the time she was an infant to how she was currently, she had received over 100 bone fractures and breaks. Fortunately, Kosuke and Sai, her younger brother by three years, were born with the gene dormant, something Aeris was secretly thankful for. She hated the disease, the only thing that kept her from doing the things she loved, and wouldn't want to wish it upon anyone – least of all her beloved brothers.

"O'course. I'm the greatest guardian this 'ere world's ever seen!" Aeris laughed as Kosuke's chest jutted out proudly, squaring his shoulders and resting his hands on either side of his waist as if the pose itself would award him his desired title.

"Right then. I'll leave it all up to you, Ko-nii. I know you won't let me down."

"You bet! Now, let's get ya' to homeroom. I made sure to look up everything for you yesterday, since you couldn't make it to the ceremony." Aeris nodded obediently and followed after Kosuke, who lead the way into the building and through its winding halls. The school wasn't any bigger than it appeared on the outside. It was a basic three storied building, one floor going to each individual grade, equip with a gym, cafeteria, and a couple of tennis courts and a track that sat out in the back field. Least to say, the building wasn't impressive in the least, but the further Aeris went into it the more she began to love it.

"It's not much, but it serves its purpose."

"Not at all," the blonde surveyed the area with something akin to glee, making sure to smile pleasantly at any passerby as she drew a mental map in her head of the school's layout, "I think it's perfect."

It didn't take them long to reach Aeris' homeroom. Like all freshmen classrooms, it was located on the ground level in a hall that looked out into the small sports field. Already she liked its location, mentally approving of it as she peeked around her brother's bigger form to glance inside class 1-A's designated room. Already there were people milling around inside, instinctively grouping up with others that shared similar tastes and interests, and forming friendships that would either last through high school or break apart before it.

"Aeris," she brought her attention back to her brother, big eyes blinking up at him as she waited to hear what he had to say, "don't forget that I have to go to a Soccer tryout after school, so make sure to wait for me. I'll message ya' on your phone when I'm done."

"Oh, okay." At the mention of his sport of choice, her eyes flickered downward in an attempt to avoid his gaze. It wasn't a secret she didn't like him playing Soccer. In her mind, the only sport that suited him and brought out his natural abilities was American football; however, with Mao not having an American football club, Kosuke had decided to join Soccer in his freshman year as a desirable second choice.

"Hey now, don't be like that. Ya' know I'd do football if they had a team." Kosuke sighed softly, reaching one hand up to absently rub the back of his neck - a habit he had picked up whenever he found himself in uncomfortable situations.

"Look, I'll be applying to Shinryuuji when high school registration opens up. They have a really great American Football team! They haven't lost a game-"

"-since their founding. Yes, Ko-nii, I know." The taller boy huffed, partly put out by his sister's blatant cut off in the middle of his sentence. As if to alleviate this, Aeris shot him an apologetic smile, which in turn caused the corners of Kosuke's mouth to twitch up in response.

"Besides, their logo is a dragon," his hand came down on the top of her head, mussing up her hair playfully, "and I know _someone_ who's mighty crazy 'bout them dragons."

The bell signaling the start of classes chimed loudly over head. Kosuke gave his sister one more affectionate pat before waving her through the door, turning only when he was certain she was fully inside and darting down the hall to his own class. Taking a deep breath, she glanced around the room. If there was one thing she disliked, it was large crowds of unfamiliar people. It wasn't as if she were particularly shy, in fact, she liked to think that she wasn't shy in the least; however, she disliked being the center of attention, and with the eyes of the students who already found their seats on her, she was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable.

Quickly she slipped further into the room, aiming for an open seat by the window. Reaching it, she realized she liked the spot she had found. The window gave view to a line of cherry blossom trees planted along the pathway that led around the school. A rather unkempt garden was nestled in the empty space between the building and the path, and absently she had to wonder if the school even had someone taking care of its gardens. Her desk was in the second row from the back, and while she would have preferred something closer to the board _(her eyesight wasn't the best, even with contacts in)_, she was desperate to have a window seat. The only thing she was worried about was why no one had taken it yet. Usually the window ones were the first seats to be claimed.

"Pst!"

"Eh?" Aeris turned her head to the right at the urgent sound, locking eyes with the girl sitting across from her. She was rather cute, with her large brown eyes _(made larger by the glasses on her face)_ and mousy brown hair cut short with little pink, flower pins holding her bangs out of her face. A dash of freckles coated her cheeks and her lips were full and colored that perfect shade of rose that made Aeris feel slightly envious. Even sitting, Aeris could tell the girl was a good few centimeter's taller than her own 155 cm (5'1"), and had the build of someone who wasn't particularily active yet was blessed with the gift of high metablism.

"You're brave."

"What-?"

"You're the girl who missed the opening ceremony, right? Here's some advice, go find another seat before_ he_ gets here."

Aeris blinked, completely caught off guard by what her classmate had just said. What was wrong with the seat she was in? And what did she mean by _'before_ he _got there?'_ Who was she talking about?

"I'm sorry, but what are you-?"

Everyone jumped as the door slammed open. The girl sitting beside her paled instantly as her eyes jumped across the room to a rather scrawny blonde haired male who had just entered. His slanted green eyes glanced around the room in a lazy manner, popping the pale green gum pressed between his lips as he sauntered further inside. His hair was obviously dyed, but Aeris thought that it suited him perfectly with the way it seemed to defy gravity and stick up however it pleased.

Her eyes followed him as he slowly moved toward her, half concerned he was coming over to address her before realizing his destination was the desk behind her. He had an over powering presence, one that caused Aeris to redirect her eyes away from him and hope he didn't take any notice of her. She understood now the answers to all of her questions, but a little, optimistic part of her tried to reassure her that the boy probably wasn't all that bad.

She chanced a glance up at him as he passed by, instantly noticing the unusual point of his ears and double piercings at the bottom of each. He was all sharp angles and slender limps, but the soft tone of muscles running up his arms let her know he was stronger than he appeared to be. She jumped, along with everyone else, as he fell heavily into his chair and slammed his feet onto the desk before him, crossing them at the ankles as he laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back as if he were anywhere else but at school.

The atmosphere in the classroom was smothering. It was so thick Aeris was half tempted to find a knife just to see if she could cut through it. It was only moments later when the teacher arrived, but even his presence didn't seem to effect the mood of the classroom. The girl sitting beside Aeris shot her a worried glance, but chose not to say anything as the teacher began roll call.

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

"This morning was intense, wasn't it?" Matsurabi Naomi asked as the bell signaling the lunch hour tolled loudly over head. Aeris merely nodded mutely as her mind went over all that had happened that morning. If she had thought she would have had a peaceful first day of school, she had been sadly mistaken.

Roll call was only the start of many unfortunate occurrences that had happened in such a short amount of time. As usual, the teacher had called attendance in alphabetical order by last name, which was the custom in Japan. Since her last name was Akimoto, Aeris was of course the first one called upon. She felt a little disgruntled when the teacher made an obvious jab at her absence yesterday during the ceremony, but the girl took everything in stride - easily reconciling with the man after assuring him she would study hard and not cause any problems in the future. Her homeroom teacher, a middle aged man with a receding hairline and graying hair, had only gotten through a few more students before the trouble began.

If there was one thing she learned that morning, it was to not cross the person named Hiruma Youichi. The boy behind her was all snide remarks and calculating wit; the type that got what they wanted not because they actually wanted it, but because they knew how to play a person into giving it to them. He was charismatic and so obviously intelligent he made her feel like an idiot in comparison, and while nothing he did caused any _real _harm, his use and understanding of psychology was second to none. By the time the teacher finally managed to move passed the demonic male stationed behind her, the poor man was sweating buckets and so pale Aeris was afraid he'd pass out right then and there.

Afterwards she learned that the girl sitting across from her was named Matsurabi Naomi, and became quite determine to befriend her after affirming she was a rather friendly and energetic individual. First period mathematics came and went in a blur, nothing noticeable happening aside from the teacher _(a young woman in her early twenties who had just graduated from university)_ clumsily dropping an arm full of papers all over the floor in her rush to hand them out. It wasn't until second period English did the demon behind her start to act up again.

The teacher they assigned to teach them that subject was just as young as the mathematics teacher. He was tall and impressive looking, with chocolate locks and green eyes that sent half the girls in the room swooning just by looking at them. His accent and pronunciation of English words impressed Aeris, who liked to consider herself fluent in the language thanks to summer trips to American in order to visit her father's side of the family. However, even if _she_ was impressed by it, it was only too obvious that the boy behind her wasn't. He picked and nagged at the teacher until he turned red with embarrassment, using vulgar language and even giving him the embarrassing nickname of _'fucking diapers'_ - something the students found rather confusing while Hiruma merely looked elated by the teacher's humiliated expression.

"Hey, hey, Akimoto-chan! Want to eat lunch together with me?"

Blinking out of her stupor, Aeris turned her head toward the girl who had addressed her.

"Ah, Aeris is fine. Sure, I'd love to, Matsurabi-chan."

"Yay! Awesome! You can just call me Naomi too, by the way. Hey, want to eat in here? I was going to suggest going outside, but I don't know where that demon ran off to and don't really want to chance bumping into him."

After the bell had rung, Hiruma had jumped out of his seat and disappeared out into the hall. While Aeris was half relieved he had left, some other part of her wanted to go after him and see if she could possibly befriend him. However, after she allowed herself a moment to once again go over what happen that morning, she quickly quashed the idea, finding it safer to stay away from him rather than approach him.

"I don't mind."

Naomi grabbed the desk located in front of Aeris' and turned it around, pushing the two surfaces together in order to make one large table. She sat down in the seat in front of Aeris once she was satisfied with her desk work, pulling out a bento wrapped in a colorful handkerchief from her bag and placing it down before her.

"What did you bring for lunch, Aeris?"

"Ah, I have a bento as well."

As if to prove what she had just said, the blonde reached into her own bag and pulled out a bento wrapped in a blue handkerchief with tiny American footballs decorating it. Naomi looked at the material strangely as she began to unwrap it, the blonde completely obvious to the dubious look she was receiving. As they ate, the two talked and laughed about various things. Aeris learned that Naomi was the oldest of three children, had a cat name Thomas, liked anything and everything sweet, and was totally obsessed with a popular boy idol named Kiseki. She in turned told the other girl about her two brothers, Kosuke and Sai, admitted that she wanted a pet but her parents refused to get one, and completely elaborated her love of sports - thus explaining the strange handkerchief that was wrapped around her bento.

"What? So you have some disease that makes your bones weak?"

"Yeah," Aeris sat a ball of rice she had picked up with her chop sticks into her mouth, humming affirmatively at the statement, "I'm not allowed to do any strenuous activities, or anything that would put me in danger of breaking something. As you can see, that kicks sport participation right off the list of things I can do."

"That's tough," Naomi glanced down at her lunch as if trying to find something appropriate to say, but with a reassuring pat and encouraging smile from Aeris, she quickly forgot what she had been so worried about in the first place, "so what club are you going to join then? Since you can't go into sports."

"Hmmm, that's right. What should I do?"

"Why don't you join art? I'm sure you'd be good at it. There's also tea ceremony, I think. And a music and Home Ec. club if I'm not mistaken. Personally, I'll probably go with the Home Ec. I'm not very athletic and everything else seems kind of boring."

Aeris smiled, laughing as she watched Naomi's facial expressions change one after the other as she talked about each club. If she had to, she probably would end up going with art. She wasn't the best when it came to artistic talent, but she wasn't so bad that it was painful to look at her work either. Her gaze slipped to the side and out the window, instantly being drawn to the unkempt garden that slept quietly outside.

"Hey, Naomi-chan?"

The other girl looked at her questioningly, scrunching her eyebrows together when she noticed the blonde's attention was on something else besides her before turning her head to figure out what it was.

"Do you know if they have a garden club here, or something like it?"

"Garden, eh? Hummm, I haven't heard of one."

It was easy to see the disappointment on Aeris' face as she sighed and turned her head away from the window. Naomi watched sadly as her new friend quickly finished off the last bit of her lunch before nodding her head in silent determination when an idea came to her.

"Why don't we create one then?"

"Eh?"

The mousy haired girl pushed out of her chair, eyes blazing with determination as a large grin spread across her face.

"Let's go ask Sensei after school if we can create one. I think we need at least three people to form a club, so we have until then to find one more person. Okay? Aeris?"

"But I thought you wanted to join the Home Ec. club."

"Pft! Gardening is way cooler than sitting around the kitchen. Besides," she glanced out the window to the sad excuse of a garden, frowning in thought as she took the time to calculate the damage, "Mao's garden's have probably seen better days."

Aeris merely stared at the girl before her, considering her with a hidden intelligence that cause Naomi to suspect the blonde was smarter than she originally thought she was. Finally, though, she smiled, nodding her head in agreement and watching with equal glee as Naomi gave a little victory jump. She hoped they'd be able to find one more person that would be willing to join their _(hopefully)_ soon to be club. Since it was still only the first day, Aeris was certain that there would still be plenty of people left that had yet to decide on a club of choice. This was the best moment to strike in a way, and slowly she could feel her excitement over the idea growing.

Hiruma returned to class just as the bell signaling the end of lunch blared, bringing with him an oppressive atmosphere as he resumed his seat. Naomi shot her a purposeful look before turning her attention to the teacher who had just entered the room. Even if she wanted to, Aeris couldn't ignore the male behind her. His presence drew her attention to him like a moth to a flame, causing her to become ultra aware of him even though she had no real reason to be. What was it that she found so frighteningly fascinating about him? Here she was the only one in the room wanting to turn around and address him, when really she ought to just ignore him.

Turning her head just enough to peek at him from the corner of her eye, she noticed that he was in the same position he had been in earlier that morning. His feet were propped up on the desk and crossed at the ankles, while his fingers laced together behind his head in an attempt to support it as he leaned back on the two back legs of his chair in a casual manner. The gum in his mouth, a fresh piece if the vibrant color had any say in it, formed bubbles and held the shape for as long as his lips wanted it to before popping it and sucking it back in in a repetitive pattern. His head was turned toward the window, and his eyes gazed blankly through it but didn't seem to focus on anything in particular. A faraway look passed over his face, and for a moment, Aeris couldn't help but think he looked so incredibly lonely.

* * *

_**A/N: **First chapter is out, so I hope that everyone reading this enjoyed it. I hope to post at least one chapter a week if I can manage, but real life duties come first and I can't always make the deadline. As for my other little story thing I got going on with Camus from Uta no Prince-sama's childhood, I'll be picking that up again soon. Sorry for such the long wait on the next chapter. I also have to apologize in advance, because for the next few chapters the plot will probably be a bit slow. I'm dedicating them to introducing the OC's that will be prominent through out the story. Once that's over, hopefully the pace will pick up and begin to become more fun to read._

_Now, I just want to give everyone a heads up. This story is indeed a Hiruma x OC (Original Character) romantic relationship sort of thing. However, that being said, it won't be all _'boom, snap, bang' _they're in love sort of thing. No, that's just ridiculous and there is no way that Hiruma would open up to that type of relationship so easily. It'll take time and nurturing, and a whole series of events before our beloved demon feels any sort of romantic inkling for dear, sweet Aeris. That doesn't mean it'll be boring to read until things start heating up. If you read the description at the top, I'm also adding a little Agon x OC action into the mix as well. How that will play out is uncertain, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it at the end.  
_


	3. II : Friendship

_**A/N : **Eyeshield 21 is owned and was created by **Riichiro Inagaki **and **Yusuke Murata**. I do not lay claim to anything other than my own OC's (Original Character's) and my own variations of the plot line. This story is strictly fan made and has no link to or influence on the original work. _

_It is rated M (Mature) due to language, mild violence, and (very) mild sexual content in much later chapters. This story takes place approximately 4 years prior to the main Eyeshield 21 story line, when Hiruma, Musashi, and Kurita were still in their freshman year of secondary school (7th grade of Middle School)._

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•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

｢ **II : Friendship  
**

_"Back then, things seemed so simple.  
They were truly days of smiles and laughter,  
and no matter what the future held in store  
I knew that those two would always be by my side.  
Forever _..."

- **Aeris** ｣

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

Natsuhiko Satsuki didn't like confrontation. In fact, the quiet girl absolutely abhorred it. So it wasn't a surprise that when a group of freshman boys came up to her little corner desk during lunch break to make casual conversation, she did the first thing Satsuki did whenever she was forced into unwanted social situations – she ran away.

Satsuki was what people would call a social outcast. She didn't belong to any one group, and couldn't speak up enough to actually make friends - even with the girl that sat beside her in class. She was a quiet and aloof individual, and was perfectly content with spending a peaceful afternoon in the library with her nose stuck in a book over going outside and actually doing things.

She was tiny and had a self confidence that left much to be desired, with as many curves as a board and the thinness of a single piece of paper. Her boy cropped hair, if given the opportunity to touch, was soft and fluffy, sporting a pretty hazelnut color that gave accent to her bright honey colored eyes. She was cute in the sense of a grade schooler, and many were anxious to see how her appearance would change after she grew into her body.

The girl sat hunched over herself in the shadow of the stairway that led up to the second floor, trying to appear as small as possible in order to keep attention from wandering over to her. There wasn't a need to worry on that front, however. With the dark color of Mao's uniform and her already tiny body, she seemed to all but disappear in the shadowed corner connecting the stairs to the wall. If someone wasn't looking for her there specifically, their eyes would pass right over her.

Sniffling, Satsuki found she was rather disappointed in herself. This year, her first year of middle school, she desperately wanted to change. She wanted to make friends and go out to little café's after school and talk about girl things. She wanted to break out of her shell and build up her confidence enough that she could talk to anyone, not just those of the female gender _(who were the only ones she talked to if she was forced to speak)_. She felt rather dismal as she considered how other people could talk to each other so easily, and suddenly began to wonder if there was something wrong with her.

'_There's got to be,' _she mused miserably, shrinking even more into herself as the hot sting of fresh tears sprung to the corners of her eyes, _'why else am I so broken in the social graces department? Why can't I be like Queen Victoria of England or Hatshepsut of Egypt? They were strong women who each ruled their own country. Surely they had no problem speaking with people.'_

The soft whimper that escaped unchecked caught the attention of a rather large boy passing by, causing him to pause and consider her a moment. Takekura Gen by no means resembled the typical middle school student. He was tall and extraordinarily buffed thanks to his constant work participation in his father's construction company. He had hit puberty early, much to his own displeasure, and spent a good half an hour every night shaving off the stubble that constantly persisted to grow around his mouth and up the sides of his face.

His skin, darkened by working long hours under the sun, was nothing close to perfect. Tiny scars, bumps, and bruises could be found in almost any location throughout his body, making him seem more intimidating than his gentle nature actually was. Dark hair framed his face, brushed but obviously given no more attention than that, with chocolate eyes that seemed to be glaring at everyone he looked at, but were actually just naturally narrow to begin with.

"You okay?" If his appearance could fool someone he wasn't a middle school student, then his voice would definitely make someone _certain_ he wasn't a middle school student. It had broken out of its baby high pitch sometime in the sixth grade, leaving him with a low tone that tended to rumble towards the end of each sentence. It was rough and only added to his intimidating charm, but somehow a gentle warmness always found a way to wiggle into the cracks and leak out.

Satsuki stiffened the moment the first syllable left his mouth, and no matter how many times she tried to deny the fact he was talking to _her_, the moment he took a step closer to her quickly reaffirmed the inevitable. Lifting her head slowly, like one who knew a ghost was in front of them and didn't really want to look at it but had the urge too just to prove that it was actually there, she stared in disbelief at the giant _(in her mind anyway)_ standing casually before her. Gen wasn't sure whether he should be concerned or amused as he watched her eyes widen dramatically as she took in his appearance, his confidence in approaching her quickly diminishing when it began to become obvious his intrusion did more harm than good to the cowering girl.

"I'm Takekura Gen of class 1-"

"I-I'm s-s-sorry f-for the t-t-trouble! P-please excuse me!"

Before he could even finish his introduction, Satsuki had already jumped to her feet and dodged around him, quickly running down the hall in an attempt to get as far away from him as she possibly could. Gen merely blinked his confusion, sighing a moment later as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and slowly turned to resume his walk to class.

_'Scary! That was so scary! Who was that? He looked like a monster!'_

Satsuki pumped her short legs as fast as they would go, squeezing between startled groups of people and dodging past angry teachers who didn't hesitate to scold her about running in the halls. All she had on her mind was the boy who most certainly did not look like a middle school student, and the fastest way to put them each at opposite sides of campus.

She didn't even realize she had bulldozed her way through the halls towards the entrance of the school until the gentle spring breeze greeted her. Her eyes, which had been closed _(how she managed to see were she was going was a mystery within itself)_, snapped open in surprise when she felt the sun kiss her skin in welcome, finally finding the sense of closure she had unconsciously been searching for. Quickly, she darted around a corner leading to the side of the building, and began heading toward a small cluster of cherry blossom trees she knew to be located nearby.

Although the location was anything but _secret_, Satsuki had quickly deemed the spot _her_ secret spot the first day of school a week ago. The three trees that sat in a sort of triangle formation provided excellent cover from any wandering students, and with her small body she could easily curl up against the trunk of the largest tree and disappear. The smooth bark was like a comforting hand on her back as she pressed her trembling form against it, slowly sliding down until her butt met the ground with a soft _'thump'_. For some reason she was unusually tired right then, with her body trembling from nerves and tears that waited to be pushed down her cheeks. She felt sort of bad for the way she had acted towards the boy earlier, but thinking back on his towering appearance quickly blotted out any hints of regret she might have had.

_'I want to go home ... isn't school over yet?'_

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

Choking on her own spit, a strangled yelp of alarm rushed from her throat as she tried to jump back from the unfamiliar voice only to slam the back of her head against the trunk of the tree. Stars appeared before her as the voice gasped out a startled exclamation, and before Satsuki even knew what was happening a soft, warm hand was pressed against her back, helping to prop her upright.

"T-that hurt ..."

"Well no duh that hurt! Are you an idiot or something? Who goes and bumps their head against a tree?"

"Naomi-chan!"

_'There's more than one of them? Oh no, what do I do?'_

Two voices, one soothing and the other harsh, bickered back and forth as the dazed Satsuki tried to gather her bearings. The hand that had been pressed to her back gently moved sideways so that the length of its attached arm could better support her. She blinked back the black spots that had appeared in her vision, cringing slightly when the sun glared painfully down at her, before daring to peek up at the two strangers. The first one she saw, looking down at her with hands pressed to their hips in a sassy sort of way, was a girl with mousy brown hair cut short and large brown eyes that seemed to be magnified by the large, round glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. She carried herself with a confidence that made Satsuki instantly envious, and her skin, while not exactly pale, was a smooth creamy color. Full, rose colored lips brought on a second bout of envy, and the dusting of freckles that graced her cheeks had the girl crossing the border between pretty to cute.

Turning her head, she was met face to face with such a pretty girl that it took all Satsuki had not to let her jaw drop open and simply ogle at her. Her hair, so pale it almost seemed colorless, was pulled up half way - pinned to the back of her head with a pair of pretty blue chop sticks which had tiny beads hanging down from the tip. Crystalline blue orbs stared at her worriedly while a concerned frown turned down the corners of her pink lips. Her skin was so pale that the light seemed to reflect right off of it, making it seem as if the girl holding her up was glowing in a fantastic illusion. There was a certain gentleness about her that caused Satsuki to loosen up - if only a little; and before she knew it, large, round tears came streaking down her cheeks.

"Oh, Sweety. Did it hurt that bad? Here now, there's no need to cry."

Satsuki didn't know what made her burst into tears like she did. Maybe it was the stress that had been slowly piling up inside her since elementary school, or the fact she was simply not having a good day and this girl seemed like the gentlest being on the face of the earth. The hand that held her shoulder in a soft, yet firm grip urged Satsuki closer to the angel _(for she had to have been one, glowing as she did in Satsuki's mind)_. Her tiny head found the crook in the other girls shoulder, and for once, Satsuki allowed herself to lean into another person as she cried her eyes out. The hand that had been on her shoulder rose to the back of her head, slowly stroking her hair as sweet assurances were whispered to her in an attempt to comfort the sobbing girl.

"Oh geeze. I'm not good at these sorts of things. Aeris, I'll leave this to you."

_'Aeris? So that's the angel's name ... and the other one is ... Naomi?'_

Naomi stared almost helplessly as she watched the two girls curled together on the ground. Guilt ate at her insides when she remembered the insensitive words she had spoken to the unknown girl earlier, and groaned when she realized she'd have to apologize. Crouching down beside Aeris, who had gone into what looked like _'mother mode'_, a mental battle began to rage around in her mind as she debated whether saying anything would cause the girl to burst into more tears, or if it'd help the situation.

"Look, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. Are you going to be okay?"

Satsuki sniffled, and then suddenly froze as the full realization of what was happening hit her. What was she doing!? Crying like this in front of two strangers, and leaning against one of them no less! Her throat went dry as an intense wave of shame mixed with embarrassment washed through her.

"Are you alright? Ah, here! You can use this to wipe your face."

A handkerchief was held out to her as she stiffly pulled away from Aeris, her mind a vortex of thoughts and accusations against herself. She stared at the material in Aeris' hand, not daring to make eye contact as she hesitantly reached out to take it. The handkerchief was soft against her face, and had the comforting scent of the girl she had just been leaning against. She dabbed the material across her swollen eyes, sniffling all the while.

"T-thank you ..."

Her voice was small and uncertain, and she was surprised that the two even managed to hear it. Aeris and Naomi sent each other relived smiles before turning their attention back to Satsuki, who had by then calmed down enough to keep her sniffles in check.

"My name is Akimoto Aeris from class 1-A, and this is Matsurabi Naomi from class 1-A as well-"

"Yo."

"-What's your name?"

Satsuki fidgeted slightly feeling the two girl's gaze resting on her, but neither of them seemed to mind as they waited patiently for her to answer. Honey colored orbs moved from their chosen spot on the ground upwards in an attempted to sneak another glance at them. They didn't seem to mind her hesitation, and looked perfectly content to wait until she was ready to speak. Her eyes fell back down, locking onto a patch of grass beside her foot as she slowly built her confidence up enough to speak.

"N-Natsuhiko S-Satsuki from c-class 1-C ..."

"Oh, so it's Satsuki-chan! What a cute name."

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the compliment, but was other wise pleased for Aeris to say so. A small smile tugged up the corners of her mouth as she mumbled out a thanks.

"But anyway," Naomi, whose tone lacked the soothing gentleness found in Aeris', moved to lean up against the tree behind her, watching the smaller girl curiously as Satsuki shifted uncomfortably, "what were you so upset about? There's no way that little bump hurt that much. Besides, you were basically sobbing earlier as you ran over her. This girl over here was so worried she came to check on you."

"Tact, Naomi-chan. Tact."

Naomi made a face at Aeris' playful chide, causing the blonde to merely smile pleasantly in response. Satsuki, obvious to the exchange, sucked in her bottom lip and bit down on it - uncomfortable with all the attention on her. Why did they want to know? Even if she told them, she doubted they would understand. They'd probably just end up teasing her like everyone else.

But those thoughts weren't very fair, were they? Those two had come over just to make sure she was alright, and they hadn't done anything to deserve such doubt _(aside from Naomi, whose patience seemed to be running thin)_. Maybe ... she could become friends with them? The thought made Satsuki warm on the inside. Hadn't she been the one just thinking she wanted to make friends this year?

"I-"

No, no, no! She couldn't! It would be mean of her to just lay out all of her insignificant troubles, when all she'd done so far was just cause trouble. Maybe she could be friends with them without telling?

"Well?"

"I-I-"

What was she going to do? Did she tell them? Did she not tell them? What was the worst that could happen? She'd been bullied and teased and stepped on all her life, even if these two did it to her it wasn't anything new. But for some reason, she desperately wanted things to be different with these two girls. She _wanted_ to be their friend. _Wanted_ them not to do as she expected. Like the heroines in her books, she had to take chances in order to get what she wanted. For the first time in a long while, she wanted to take a chance.

"I saw a monster!"

Satsuki hadn't meant to shout out her explanation, but being all frazzled and her nerves pumped into over drive, she had forgotten to control her own voice. The two girls, Aeris and Naomi, simply stared dumbstruck at Satsuki, who had squeezed her eyes shut tightly as if to avoid seeing them. It wasn't until Naomi burst into a fit of laughter did Satsuki reopen her eyes to stare in disbelief. What was so funny? She hadn't said anything amusing had she?

"D-don't laugh! It's true! He was tall, and big, and had scars all over him!"

"Ahahahaha! A_ 'monster'_ she says! Ahah! Oh god, my stomach!"

Satsuki, who detested confrontation, was beginning to get annoyed. How dare she laugh! This was serious! Aeris, reading the escalating situation, shot Naomi a disapproving glare.

"Eh? That sounds terrible! It must have been so frightening."

Satsuki turned her attention to Aeris, glad that at least _one_ person understood the direness of the situation.

"I-it was! I thought he was going to eat me!"

"What? No way!"

"I'm serious! He was at least 310 cm _(10'2") _tall! With piercing eyes and hair all over his body!"

Naomi couldn't take it. This was the most hilarious conversation she had ever heard in her life! And to make things better, Aeris had started to look just as terrified as Satsuki.

"Oi, Aeris! Don't tell me you're scared of monsters too."

Aeris, completely buying into Satsuki's description of her supposed monster, turned her trembling gaze to Naomi.

"O-o-o-of c-c-c-course n-n-n-n-not! I-I'm n-n-not s-s-scared of m-monsters ..."

"You're afraid! You're totally afraid! Ahahahah!"

By now, Naomi was practically doubled over. First this Satsuki chick, and now Aeris. Dear lord, what was this world coming to, she thought? When seventh grade students were _still_ afraid of the bogeyman.

"Okay, look you two," Naomi cut in once she was able to control her sniggers, "there's no such thing as _'monsters'_."

Satsuki, full of rebellious energy, turned her gaze to the unbeliever. There was a monster! She had seen it with her own two eyes!

"Y-yes there was! H-he was 310 cm tall an-"

"It's already impossible! Not even monsters are that tall!"

The two glared at each other for a moment in silence, each one trying to prove their point to the other. It didn't take long for Satsuki to back down, however, and soon she had dropped her gaze to the ground with an indignant huff.

"Aeris-"

"Eeek!"

Two pairs of eyes locked onto the blonde as she jumped and squealed in surprise. Naomi merely sighed in exasperation as Satsuki blinked curiously at her, a hand rising to her forehead as if an annoying headache plagued it. Realizing that what had called her name wasn't a monster and was in fact Naomi, Aeris began to laugh nervously - cheeks flushing in slight embarrassment as a sheepish smile graced her face.

"S-sorry."

"The bell's going to ring soon, and we still have to find one more person to join the club. Sensei gave us a week's deadline, remember? If we don't find someone today, we won't be able to make it."

At that Aeris sobered up, nodding her head in understanding as she pushed her self to her feet - brushing off the dirt that had gotten onto her skirt while sitting on the ground. Satsuki looked between the two curiously, wondering what was going on. A club? Were they trying to make a club here? What was it? She wanted to ask, but once she had calmed down her self-conscious nature had taken control again, rendering her unable to even make known her interest.

As if sensing the girl's curiosity, Aeris looked down at her - eyes brightening a moment later when a brilliant idea struck her. Maybe Satsuki would be willing to help build their gardening club! She liked the tiny girl, and could already imagine all the fun the three of them would have together.

"Hey, Satsuki-chan?"

At the sound of her name, she looked up at Aeris curiously, her eyes bright with hope as she waited to hear what the blonde had to say.

"Do you want to join our Gardening club?"

"Oh, that's a good idea Aeris. I wonder why I didn't think of asking her myself."

Aeris beamed up at Naomi, childishly proud she had received praise for her idea.

"Gardening ...?"

"Yeah," Naomi stretched her arms above her head as she moved to stand beside Aeris, "haven't you noticed the pathetic shape of our school's garden's? Honestly, it's an embarrassment. We wanted to make a club that would take care of the gardens on the school grounds, and asked Sensei if it'd be okay. The school approved the idea, but in order to create a club we need at least three people. We've been searching for an entire week, but everyone seems to already be in clubs. If we don't find someone by the end of today, they won't let us make it."

As Naomi explained, Satsuki's eyes took on an excited glow. She loved gardening, and she loved flowers. At her house, she had even created a small flower garden in the backyard. Joining a club was something Satsuki had been putting off, not liking any of the ones the school currently had to offer. But a gardening club- well, she would join _that_ in a heartbeat.

"I-I like flowers! Is it okay, if I, uhm, well ... If I joined ...?"

Her voice grew softer and more uncertain the further she got into her sentence, but once she had gotten it out, she felt especially pleased with herself. Aeris beamed, startling the girl by suddenly crouching down in front of her to grab both her hands in her own excitement.

"Of course! Please join our club, Satsuki-chan!"

Never before had Satsuki spoken so much at one time with someone outside of her family. It was hard to believe that just a few moments ago, she had been crying all alone and wanting to go home, and now all she wanted to do was sit and talk to these two strange girls that had suddenly appeared before her. If she became friends with them, certainly she'd be able to change in the way she wanted to. Already she felt more confident, more at ease than she had been before.

Something her mother had told her a long time ago flashed across her minds eye. _"In this life, you'll meet many people and make many friends. No matter how surround you are by them, or how long you've known them, if you hold out just one hand, you'll be able to count how many _true_ friends you have on those five fingers." _Looking at the two girls standing before her, she hoped beyond hope that when she went to hold that one hand out, whether it be in five years or fifty, these girls would each have their own spot on one of her fingers.

"Oi! _Now _why are you crying?"

She was so happy. So happy that she had begun to cry without even realizing it. A dazzling smile appeared on her face as she gripped Aeris' hands, which still held her own, with as much confidence as she could muster.

"I understand."

Naomi and Satsuki turned their attention to Aeris, confusion laced on both their faces at her softly spoken statement. The blonde merely smiled without elaborating the meaning behind her words, standing up and pulling Satsuki up with her.

"Well, shall we go?"

"Yosh! Let's go find Sensei. We have a lot of work to do."

"K-kay ..."

With that, the three girls made their way back towards the building, a little skip in their step as they raced the bell to find their teacher. Satsuki was certain that good things would happen as long as she stuck close to them, and was pleased to find that all the stress she had held pent up for so long was finally being released.

"We need to work on that confidence of yours, Satsuki."

"Tact, Naomi-chan. Tact."

"Y-yeah ..."

* * *

_**A/N: **Yeah, chapter two is out! That was quicker than I thought it would be. Okay, so here's a few notes on the go about the way I plan on writing this story.  
_

**1) **_Don't let the first person view of the prologue fool you. I plan on writing in third person the entire way through. The reason I wrote in first person there was because that's the dialogue that came to me when Aeris finally takes _true_ notice of Hiruma (which will happen later)._ _I kind of just wanted to put it down so that I'll remember those feelings, and get a little foreshadowing going on - as well as giving a bit of insight into Aeris' mind._

**2) **_I've decided to make the italicized quotes at the top (right under the title if you've taken notice of it, before the first paragraph starts)_ _excerpts of 'present day' characters. For example, Aeris, Naomi, Satsuki, etc. during the main Eyeshield 21 story line - or just future versions of themselves thinking back to what happened in middle school. I hope it helps to foreshadow events to come without totally killing the suspense. _

**3)** _There are more than just one main OC in this story, so I won't just focus on one specific character chapter to chapter. It can jump from being centered on Aeris in one chapter to being centered around Satsuki (like this chapter) the next. However, there will be more centered around Aeris for obvious reasons. Seeing as she's the "main" person in this story.  
_

_I appreciate feedback, but I doubt this story has enough going for it to even get feedback at the moment. The whole reason I write is to improve my writing, so any help and tips I get I try to use; but don't go and bash it tactlessly. I first and foremost write for myself. Not everything can please everyone - I just want to write the story that's been jumping around in my head for some time. If you don't like it, then you're free to stop reading it._


	4. III : Voltage

**Sengen's Review Corner!  
**

_I just wanted to say a special thanks to **Kira Tsumi**, who is the first person to review on this story. Your words made me extremely happy; thanks so much for taking the time to tell me so. I'm sincerely glad you are enjoying it._

* * *

_**A/N : **Eyeshield 21 is owned and was created by **Riichiro Inagaki **and **Yusuke Murata**. I do not lay claim to anything other than my own OC's (Original Character's) and my own variations of the plot line. This story is strictly fan made and has no link to or influence on the original work. _

_It is rated M (Mature) due to language, mild violence, and (very) mild sexual content in much later chapters. This story takes place approximately 4 years prior to the main Eyeshield 21 story line, when Hiruma, Musashi, and Kurita were still in their freshman year of secondary school (7th grade of Middle School)._

* * *

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

｢ **III : Voltage  
**

_"I didn't understood the term  
'be careful what you wish for'  
until my wish came true._

**_- _Naomi **｣

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

He was so handsome. No, he was even more than that. He was drop dead gorgeous with five layers of sexy piled thick on top. A wistful sigh filled the silence of the room as Naomi stared in a daze down at the magazine resting across her lap, her back propped comfortably against the thick, feather-stuffed pillows that lined the length of her bed. In her mind, the popular boy idol Kiseki was the most gorgeous man ever born unto this earth.

His eyes, an unusual violet color and one of his most striking aspects, stared up from his page in the magazine at Naomi with such an intense intimacy that the mousy haired girl felt herself swooning. His hair was as dark as the night sky itself, falling down past his shoulders and ending just a few inches below them, accented with natural waves and parted on the right while his long bangs swept off to the left. He was perfectly tanned and had the body of a professional adult model, with long legs that seemed to reach the sky and arms that set off fantasies in her mind of her body being tightly enclosed within their strong circle.

The dark sunglasses on his face, in the action of being pulled lower down his perfectly shaped nose so that his eyes could play peek-a-boo over the rim, awarded him a certain mysterious aura; and the form fitting white wife beater, black biker jacket, tight skinny jeans, and heavy duty black boots made him seem especially dangerous and exotic.

He had two piercings in his left ear, the top being a diamond embedded stud and the bottom a small, golden loop, and one in his left, the twin of the golden loop, with a stylish sliver band placed on the middle finger of his right hand. Multiple chains hung from his neck, the longest holding a gothic cross with ruby accents that rested in the middle of his chest, while the shortest rested just under his collar bone.

"Uwah~ What I wouldn't give to be kissed by those perfect, luscious lips. I bet they're the softest things ever! And I bet his hair's as soft as the finest silk. Oh benevolent god in heaven, thank you for creating such a perfect creature. Without him my life would hold no meaning!"

Naomi was a true, diehard fan of Kiseki's. All around her room were posters and magazines that featured him, the biggest poster being awarded the spot at the head of her bed right above where her head rested at night. Her room was the source of much teasing induced by her annoying twin brothers, who found her love of the idol both revolting _(they were still in that 9-year-old stage were _'girls have cooties'_)_ and amusing in the sense of providing effective blackmail _(which they weren't ashamed to use, especially the fact she tended to kiss each cheek of the largest poster at night before she went to sleep and then in the morning after she woke up – they had pictures to prove it)_.

Her eyes ran quickly over the page which featured an interview of him in the lasted edition of _Voltage_, a magazine specifically created for teens and young adults which contained the latest celebrity gossip and interviews of the most popular teen idols _(with Kiseki being ranked first in the nation's recent popularity poll)_. Aeris, who had been forced along after school that day in order to run to the nearest convenience store to buy the said magazine, had found her friend's enthusiasm over the idol rather excessive - but had chosen not to say anything in the event she unintentionally hurt the girl's feelings.

"Okay, let's see what Kiseki-sama has to say~"

｢ **Q: Good morning, Kiseki-kun! Thank you so much for  
agreeing to this interview. I'm sure all you're fans  
are as anxious to hear what you have to say as  
we are!**

_A: It's not a problem. I'm glad to have been given this opportunity  
to express my thanks to all the people who have been supporting  
me since the beginning._

**Q: Awe, I'm sure they're all happy to hear that. Now  
let's get started shall we? As I'm sure everyone  
has noticed by now, you were ranked number 1  
in the nation's recent popularity poll for the  
first time since your debut two years ago.  
How does it feel to be the most sought after  
guy in Japan?**

_A: I felt extremely thankful when my manager told me  
the good news the morning the poll was published.  
We even went out to breakfast to celebrate.  
However, there's just one thing I'm a bit  
disappointed about._

**Q: And what's that?**

_A: That I can no longer go to my favorite burger joint  
without getting mobbed for autographs._

**Q: [The interviewer laughs] It must be tough  
to be an idol, huh? Never getting a  
moments peace no matter where you go.**

_A: It surely has its disadvantages, but the pleasures  
of this business outweigh the negative sides of it. _｣

"Uwah~ He sounds so mature. It's hard to believe that he's close to my age. He looks like he's a university student, or at least in high school." As if echoing her thoughts, the interviewer goes on to mention something similar.

｢ **Q: It's hard to believe that you're only in Jr. High!  
You're so mature, and you look like  
you're already in High School – no, maybe even  
University!**

_A: Thank you for saying so, but it's true. I just started  
my second year in Mazuoka Private Jr. High. And as  
for being mature, well, my manager told me I  
had to make a good impression. Besides, the ladies  
tend to like mature guys._

**Q: Oh, you sound so confident. Tell me, are  
you a ladies man? And do you normally  
not act like this?**

_A: Eh, I wouldn't say I'm a ladies man – but hey,  
you won't see me complaining if one or two  
come flirt with me. Well, it's not that I'm not  
mature on a regular basis. My manager just doesn't  
want everyone to see my dangerous side._

**Q: Scary, scary. Well, we'll come back to  
that hidden personality trait of yours later.  
First, let's find out what every girl in  
Japan is dying to find out. Kiseki-kun,  
do you have someone you like?**

_A: No. There's no one who has attracted my  
interest yet._

**Q: Really? Well then how about this -  
what is your ideal girl like? And are  
you the type that likes to date around,  
or a romantic who looks for steady  
relationships?**

_A: My ideal girl is someone who can keep it real.  
Who doesn't like me just because I'm popular, but  
because she can see the real me behind all the  
makeup. And as for dating, I guess you could say  
I'm a romantic. I'd rather find one girl I really like and  
stay with her a long time, over having a new girlfriend  
every week._ ｣

"A girl who sees past the makeup, huh? Oh Kiseki-sama, I can see past it~ Give me a chance and let me be your girlfriend please!"

Unbeknownst to Naomi, who was far too focused on the interview to notice much else, the twins, Taro and Eien, had quietly creaked her door open to peer inside. They made disgusted faces as they watched their sister swoon and turn mushy as she talked nonsense to herself, wondering why they had been given such a weird sister to begin with. Taro, the older of the two, looked down at Eien, who was on his hands and knees beneath Taro's legs in order to peek inside as well, a devilish smile playing across his face as he thought of the most fantastic plan.

The two crept across the hall to their room, darting inside and retrieving the camera they used solely to torture their sister, before returning to their spot outside her door in order to snap a few shots. They sniggered as they took picture after picture without her notice, making sure to capture her most embarrassing expressions and motions. Once they were satisfied with their spoils for the evening, they put the camera back in its hiding spot _(if they didn't Naomi would be sure to take the small device and smash it to pieces) _before quickly thinking out a plan to get Naomi flustered.

"Ready Eien?"

"Ready Taro."

They tiptoed into her room, slowly pushing the door further open so that she would be less likely to notice the movement. Sharing matching mischievous smiles, they began doing what they did best – pestering their sister.

"Oh Kiseki-sama~ Kiss me, kiss me~" Taro sang, wrapping his arms around himself in a makeshift hug, sighing dramatically and batting his eyes at nothing in particular.

"Kiseki-sama~ Notice me from your pedestal up in the limelight~" Eien laced his fingers together as if in prayer, using his most powerful puppy dog pout at the ceiling as if the heavens would wan and listen to his plea.

"Oh Kiseki-sama!"

"Kiseki-sama!"

Naomi jumped, startled speechless for a mere half a second before the rage kicked in. Her head spun in the twin's direction as raucous laughter erupted from the two, which quickly became frightened squeals when Naomi flew off her bed in order to chase the little pests out. The two darted out the door at the same time, making sure to grab a random magazine Naomi had lying out on her school desk as they went. The girl gasped as she watched last month's edition of _Voltage_ fly out her door in the hands of her brothers. No longer was she annoyed, but worried that they would do something to ruin the priceless front page that featured Kiseki in swim ware.

"Nooooo! Not Kiseki-sama's beach themed photo shoot! Give it back to me you twerps! Give it back to me right! Now!"

The twins merely laughed as they raced down the hall and down the stairs with their sister hot on their trail, the girl looking more and more like a raging boar by the minute. Mr. and Mrs. Matsurabi merely sighed in exasperation at their children's antics. In their house, this was nothing new.

•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•*•.*.•

"-and then they took the _Voltage_ edition that featured Kiseki-sama's beach photo-shoot and ran all over the house with it! It took me twenty minutes to get it back from them! And mom and dad didn't even do anything to help – those traitors."

It was hard for Aeris not to laugh at the dismal sound of Naomi's voice as she explained the events of the previous night. The two of them, made three soon after by Satsuki returning with cool drinks from the vending machine, sat together in front of a pile of dirt which had once been a garden sporting dead flowers and overgrown weeds. It had only been two days since they club had been officially formed and approved by the administration, and already the girl's found they had their work cut out for them.

How Aeris and Naomi would have managed tending to the piles of festering plants and whipping weeds without Satsuki's help was a mystery. Neither of the two had as much experience in the planting department as their shy friend, and Satsuki had made it a point to drill as much information into them as she possibly could. When Naomi had first come up with the idea of beginning a gardening club, she had thought it would be easy to fix up the flower beds and make them colorful with healthy flowers and vibrant herbs ...

... but she had been sadly mistaken.

Her back ached from hours of hovering over flower beds, weeding and tilling soil until it looked good enough to house new plant life and keep it. Her arms were sore from the strain of pulling one weed after the other, annoyed to find that the work was harder than it appeared to be – especially when the roots went down deep. Out of the 15 gardens and flower beds that were placed on the school grounds, the girls had only manage to complete two of them.

It wasn't like the beds were especially huge; most had a range of four meters across and two meters down _(the largest being five by three, and the smallest being three by one)_. Despite that, however, it had taken them one full day _(coming in early in the morning to leaving late at night, plus lunch if they had time)_ to complete each bed, and so far there didn't seem an end in sight.

Naomi groaned audibly as she tossed a dandelion over her shoulder, completely missing the pile they had begun behind them. She was in an obviously sour mood, but found that the daunting task of weed pulling was becoming a rather therapeutic way of relieving her stress. All she had to do was picture her brother's heads in place of the weeds and pretend she was pulling their heads off their shoulders instead of weeds from the soil – however sadistic and twisted it seemed.

"It sounds like you have a rather energetic family, Naomi-chan. Try to forgive them this time, though. I'm sure they didn't mean any harm."

Aeris thanked Satsuki as she handed her a can of orange soda, giving the grape variety to Naomi, and keeping the green tea for herself.

"That's easy for you to say," Naomi popped the can open and chugged down two large gulps, whipping her mouth with the sleeve of her uniform afterwards, "you don't have two twins doing their best to make your life miserable. I swear, they do this every day! Why can't they just leave me and Kiseki-sama in peace?"

"N-Naomi-chan's obsessed with Kiseki-san, huh?" Satsuki whispered, leaning close to Aeris so the other girl could hear her. The blonde merely sighed like a mother might when her child did something silly, taking a sip of the tangy orange drink in her hand.

"Oh dear."

"You know I can hear you two, right!?"

By the time the bell signaling the start of classes tolled, the girls had only managed to get about a third of the bed cleared of weeds. Already they were tired and dreading classes _(aside from Aeris, who Satsuki and Naomi quickly realized was a bit of a nerd)_, wanting nothing more than to go home but knowing they'd end up staying late to tend to the gardens again.

Naomi dropped her head on her desk, folding her arms under it as a sort of make shift pillow. Maybe she'd take a little nap this morning, then ask Aeris for her notes during lunch. How the blonde had managed to get through elementary school without becoming a tool was a mystery; the girl was far too nice for her own good, and Naomi half suspected she hadn't even heard of the word _'no'_ before - let alone used it.

"At least that demon isn't here yet," she mumbled, referring to the sadistic blonde that sat behind Aeris, "he creeps me out. And it gets so uncomfortable when he's around. I wish they'd put him in a different class. Or kick him out altogether."

"Naomi-chan, you shouldn't say things like that."

An eyelid slid open to reveal a dubious brown orb, which looked at the blonde as if she'd lost her mind. Out of everyone in the class, Aeris was the only one who'd willingly defend him _(even though what she said didn't defend him nor attack him)_. Even if _she_ was able to try and give people the benefit of the doubt, Naomi called it as she saw it. Hiruma Youichi was a deviant; a cruel, twisted person who held no respect for morals and held the title _'the King of Sadism'_. She did not like the boy and was not willing to give him a chance. Even if he was half way across the globe, that still wouldn't be far enough away from her in Naomi's opinion.

"Oh please. It's not like anyone wants him here. He doesn't have any friends and he's probably already blackmailed the principle into giving him straight A's for the year. People like him should just disappear."

She closed her eyes against Aeris' distressed expression, a tinge of guilt stabbing at her when she heard her friends sad sigh. Silence fell between the two for a few moments before Aeris' soft voice spoke up to break it.

"Naomi-chan, I think you've gotten the wrong impression of him."

"Eh?" The girl rolled her eyes as she buried her head further down into her arms. Of course Aeris would say that, she should have known as much. Even though the two had only known each other a little over a week, Naomi felt she had known the blonde for years already. They had had an instant connection, bonding quickly enough they had figured out the main aspects in the other's personality within the first few days.

"No way, Aeris. You just way too nice."

"… you're probably right."

Classes came and went in a blur to Naomi, who had slept through more than half of the lessons. True to her prediction, Aeris had allowed the mousy haired girl access to her notes without complaint, and after stuffing a bit of food down her throat she was beginning to feel more energized. The day ended by their science teacher assigning them a three page essay that was due at the start of class tomorrow, a task Naomi was dreading to do.

With Aeris at her side, the two gathered up their belongings and made to leave the building in order to meet up with Satsuki, who had assured the duo she'd be waiting at their barely even started flower bed. Naomi turned to say something to her companion, coming up short when she found the blonde's eyes following curiously after Hiruma's retreating figure. Her mouth set in a hard line at the sight, and then turning annoyed for reasons unknown to even her, she took Aeris by the elbow and began dragging her along behind her.

"C'mon blondie we got weeding to do."

"Ah! R-right!"

Only stopping by the shoe lockers to replace their indoor ones with outdoor ones, Naomi made haste to the designated spot – cheerfully calling out to Satsuki once the girl came into view.

"Alright Mr. Flower Bed! It's time for you to meet your maker!" Rolling up her sleeves to her elbows and then pushing her glasses further up her nose, Naomi dropped to her knees and resumed the task of pulling weeds. Aeris settled down beside her with Satsuki on Aeris' other side, the three working in sync to complete the task.

For two whole hours the girls worked in silence, hardly speaking a word as each became absorbed in their own section of the flower bed. It wasn't until Kosuke came to collect his sister did they finally decide to call it a day.

"Yo! Working hard I see."

Kosuke was what Naomi would call good-looking. He wasn't dazzling enough to be handsome, but he was way above being called _cute_. His curly hair gave him a distinctive boyish charm, and his light and care-free attitude made even Satsuki relax in his presence _(well, as relaxed as a boy-phob could be)_. His Soccer uniform gave a delicious view of his abs, which were nicely toned and just itching to be touched by female hands. However, Naomi couldn't help compare him with Kiseki, who had become the impersonation of her ideal guy. Had she not discovered the idol's wondrous self, it wouldn't have been a surprise if she'd gone for Kosuke.

"Of course! How was practice, Ko-nii?"

"Eh, practice is practice. I'd rather be playing a game than doing the same drill five-hundred times."

"And _I'd _rather you be throwing an American Football instead of kicking a rounded chessboard."

Kosuke made a face at the statement before playfully grabbing Aeris into headlock, mussing up her hair with a nuggie after he had caught her.

"What was that beansprout? Don't think I heard ya' correctly."

"Ko-nii, let me go!"

Naomi smiled at the sight of them; it was obvious Kosuke adored her just as much as Aeris did him. She sighed as she imagined how nice it would be to have an older brother like him, but unfortunately she was stuck with the younger dumb and dumber. Kosuke released his sister a few moments later after he was sure she had sustained enough punishment for the moment. She made a face at him as she tried combing down her hair, but gave up quickly when she realized she'd have to take it out of its bun in order to do so.

"I'll be leaving first then. I'll see you tomorrow Naomi-chan, Satsuki-chan. Stay safe on your way home."

"See ya'."

Satsuki and Naomi watched the two leave, laughing quietly to themselves when they heard the sibling's conversation turn from _'how was your day' _to _'who the best football team was'_.

"Let's get going, Satsuki. We still have to catch the train." Satsuki nodded as she packed up her things before following after Naomi. The two had just recently begun walking to and from school together after they discovered they only lived a neighborhood apart. Aeris, however, lived in the opposite direction, closer to the base her father was stationed at.

｢ _You're all I see in this sleepless night,  
with stars that can't even match your beauty.  
Stay with me like this forever,  
trapped in an eternal midnight._

_With your lips press softly to mine,  
and your body a seductive temptation in the dark;  
I feel myself slipping away with you.  
Baby, I think my heart is falling for yours._ ｣

"Oh my god! It's Kiseki-sama's new single! Midnight! I can't believe I forgot that it came out today!" Brown eyes instantly locked onto the large screen display positioned at the top of a tall building. Kiseki appeared on screen in a flash of light, his lips forming words to the melody playing in the background. Naomi watched in a daze as the PV played, displaying the single's release date information once the song had come to an end.

"H-he has a good voice …" Satsuki offered as she waited for Naomi to return to reality so that they could resume the walk home. The girl merely sighed dreamily, her mind lost in thoughts of forbidden kisses and secret trysts held deep into the night. She wanted so badly to meet him, her idol Kiseki, and secretly wished that the gods would answer her prayers and create a miracle for her.

"His voice is better than good – it's deep, sensual, intimate! I could listen to it forever and never get tired of the sound."

"Eheh …"

"Ah! That's right!" Much to Satsuki's annoyance, Naomi stopped again – looking as if she had been struck by surprise by a bad bit of news. "I have to hurry and buy it before they're all sold out! C'mon Satsuki, hurry!"

"W-wha-? Wait! Naomi-chan!"

Despite her pleas, Naomi insisted on dragging the girl behind her as she all but ran to the nearest music store; and just as she had thought, nearly all copies of his single had been sold. By the time she had found the spot they had used as a display for it _(it was hard to miss, seeing as there was a larger than life poster of Kiseki directly behind it)_, there were only a hand full left. Naomi quickly grabbed one for herself before moving to get in line, positively beaming with joy at what she held in her hand.

"Kya~ I can't wait to get home and listen to the whole thing! Satsuki, wanna come over and listen to it with me?" The girl in question smiled nervously as she politely declined the offer, saying something about tending to the flowers when she got home. Naomi merely shrugged, much too excited to really care one way or the other. Her day only got better when the cashier presented her with a free poster as a reward for buying one of the singles, and by the time the two exited the store she was practically floating on cloud nine.

The short train ride to her station seemed to take a life time, but as soon as her and Satsuki walked out of the station and turned onto the street that led further into the neighborhood, the two quickly parted ways with a quick goodbye and Naomi was all but running to her doorstep. She kicked off her shoes and dashed up the stairs to her room, calling out a quick greeting to her parents before slamming her door shut and diving onto the bed. She grabbed the CD player and earphones off her bedside table and put the disk inside, plugging up her ears just as the first note played.

｢ _Trapped in the darkness of a twisted world,  
I search for a light to guide me.  
Soon your outstretched hand appears before me,  
and no longer am I tumbling through this endless space._

_The moon becomes your spotlight,  
and the stars the accents in your hair.  
You burn brighter than the blazing fire,  
that is slowly being kindled within me._

_Darkness is all I've ever known,  
And so I've always sought the daylight.  
But with the warmth of you here beside me,  
I now only long for midnight. _｣

_'Oh, Kiseki-sama …'_

Naomi rolled onto her side, curling up into a ball as she listened to Kiseki's velvety voice - imagining that it was her he was singing too. All thoughts of homework had completely been erased from her mind, and she didn't even budge when her mother opened her door to tell her supper was ready. The older women merely sighed as she looked at her daughter, shaking her head slightly as she backed out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the girl in privacy.

_'One day, surely, the two of us will meet. And then, once that happens, we'll definitely fall in love.'_

* * *

**_A/N: _**_As you can see, the third chapter is out! Like I said before, the plot will be slow at first due to me introducing the character's and such. Chapter one was merely giving an idea of the setting, chapter two introduced Satsuki, and now this chapter introduced Naomi. I'll be introducing Aeris last, just because once I introduce her the story line will begin progressing further along. It'll either be chapter four or five when I get to Aeris, I haven't decided if I'm going to make an introductory chapter for Kosuke yet or not. Either way, we'll begin to start seeing a little more of Hiruma, Kurita, and Musashi soon! So please be patient for a little while longer okay?_

_Also, I completely made up the title of the magazine with a word from the top of my head. I don't know if there is actually a magazine like that (since I don't read magazines at all) or not. I also made up Kiseki's Midnight lyrics myself, so I'm sorry if they are silly or weird or anything. On my profile page, I put links to how Aeris', Naomi's, and Satsuki's hair looks in color/style, as well as the color of their eyes. Take a look if you're curious and have time!  
_


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